“We wanted to adopt siblings from the beginning. After many disappointments, I applied for two brothers I saw in a flyer. Months later, while shopping with my mom in Meijer, my caseworker called. ‘Would you like to learn more?’ I had two options: recover or die.”
‘The night before surgery, Granny and Pap came in a dream: ‘Honey, we’re waiting for you.’ I was terrified.’: Chronic illness warrior survives health complications, adopts 2 pre-teens
‘I heard my mom sobbing in the background. ‘She has 12 months left to live.’ I fell to my knees, sobbing. I thought my parents were bulletproof.’: Woman shares grief journey after losing mom to brain tumor
“Although I had a husband and three children to care for, I was lost in darkness. I poured a bottle of lorazepam down my throat. I had eyes only for my mom and seeing her again.”
‘With tears in his eyes, my boyfriend said my weight bothered him.’: 22 shocking comments plus-sized woman has received
“We’re in 2021. Time to wake up. Big girls are in. And fat isn’t a bad thing.”
‘We eloped. 3 weeks later, my wife said her stomach was bothering her. ‘I need to call 911! I screamed. Her words became jumbled, her face contorted.’: LGBTQ+ newlywed details sudden journey with stroke, Moyamoya disease
“Her words became jumbled…like she was speaking into a tin can in slow motion. Her face contorted into a shape I will never forget. She’d never been sick, never had health issues. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. We rushed to the hospital. ‘I need to give her a kiss and tell her how much I love her.’ We went from newlyweds to part of a club no one signs up for.”
‘Babe, were you drugged?’ The entire right side of my body was limp. I opened my mouth but words wouldn’t come out.’: Stroke survivor details recovery journey, ‘I got a second chance at life’
“My head started spinning. The next thing I knew, I woke up lying on the cold bathroom floor. A team of nurses pulled out defibrillators. ‘Claire, can you hear me?’ It was excruciating. I couldn’t help but scream out.”
‘If I make her breakfast at 3 a.m. and wash her hair, maybe I can save her!’ I won’t tell her yet.’: Daughter takes care of mom before she passes, ‘I never gave up on you’
“‘Why me?’ she’d ask. But I was 22 and very much alive, how could I know? ‘We aren’t done fighting.’”
‘He had very serious issues. ‘Should we adopt him?’ I’ll never forget his face. I couldn’t escape the feeling he was ours!’: Woman adopts baby with brain condition, ‘He changed my perspective on life’
“’It’s not a matter of IF he has another stroke, but WHEN.’ His 5 siblings took turns feeding him little bites of ice cream. Even brain surgery couldn’t get in the way of his sweet crooked smile.”
‘’Will you ask her to marry you?’ My dress was overnighted. Mom helped dad into his suit. I choked on tears.’: Woman creates father-daughter dance before dad’s passing, ‘He always chose joy’
“My nails weren’t painted and I curled my hair myself in between wiping away the endless stream of tears. It wasn’t staged or super fancy. It was a dad doing what he always did best: sweeping his girl off her feet one last time.”
‘My doctor was disinterested in my health. ‘It’s a circus people disease. You don’t have it.’ I felt defeated.’: Woman diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos, ‘I’m thankful for those who’ve stood by me’’
“Overnight, I woke up ill. I was met with disbelief and put-downs. ‘Girls your age struggle with anxiety.’ I struggled to walk up stairs. I would wake up from a full night’s sleep and need to go back to bed an hour later.”
‘She’s been gone too long.’ It was a freak event during birth. She stopped breathing twice, turning grey.’: 2-day-old baby diagnosed with brain bleed, ‘She’s our big adventure’
“I knew something was wrong. A nurse came in and said Ellis had stopped breathing in the nursery twice. ‘She’s at high risk for significant developmental disabilities.’ He encouraged my husband and I to have a conversation about what to do if our baby didn’t wake up.”
